Fire and Sacrifice by Victoria Collins

Author:Victoria Collins [Collins, Victoria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Fiction
ISBN: 9780987589811
Published: 2018-08-27T04:00:00+00:00

***

‘May I?’ He was already too close to me, his hands moving to trace the scars on my cheek and compare it to the clear one (and compare to Aemilia’s?). I sat on my hands to squash the urge to slap him away.

I didn’t bother answering him. In my head I screamed, ‘I don’t like to be touched!’ But he was so gentle and so intent on me and I wanted to do it for Aemilia, as if she could feel it through me.

I just sat on the scratchy stool on the roof of his apartment where the light was good. His apartment was a dingy little box on the other side of the river, empty but for his work and a half-eaten loaf of bread discarded next to a half-carved something-or-other. I decided I would not tell Aemilia about him using the roof. She would like that too much.

He showed no expression as he looked me over, his thumbs following the path of my bones and the dips above and below my lips and across my brow while I burned.

I am not ashamed. Yes, Shadow Man, I have nothing to hide. Here are my wounds for all to see. What will you do with them?

He puzzled over them, a great test for the sketch artist, I am sure. No else has ever had the gall to stare straight at my scars like that. Yet those dark eyes showed nothing as he picked at every sinew and ditch and blotch and lump, and I sat still as I could but really I wanted to run, desperately run. But I also wanted to see.

I hoped that he was going to surprise me and when he turned round his parchment he’ll have corrected my face – because he can, with his magic charcoal.

‘You have exquisite bone structure,’ he said. ‘Nothing beats bone structure. What is your story?’ he asked without looking at me. ‘Not your burns,’ he said. ‘Why you were going to be executed.’

He talked fast as he sketched, stepping back from his work then up close to it again, then coming at me with such intent I was about to cry out.

He backed off again, still staring at my face as he walked backward to his board but taking no notice of my reactions. I was just shapes and shadows to him. It made it easier, I think.

‘Of course, my new friend Romans have been all over me with questions and stories of how my intriguing client came to acquire her intriguing new servant.’

I realised that Aemilia had never asked me that. She had never even asked what I did to be on my way to execution the day she saved me.

I loved her even more, right then.

I don’t want this question from Elian, not now when he already studied me so close, frowning, seeing nothing but me not even looking at his hand as he drew. It was all too much but he was so intense the answer was pulled from me despite myself.

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